My object in moving this amendment is that God’s name for swearing purposes may not be permitted. I am not being inimical to the idea of God that I move the House to delete the name of God, but on religious and ethical considerations and also on reasons of great constitutional importance that I ask the House to delete the name of God for swearing purposes. When we were in school days, we were swearing too often “By God, it is true“, “By God, I will do it“, “By God, I will not do it“, “By God, this is wrong“, etc. and invariably we had been told by our teachers and elders that it was not a good habit to swear. I wonder how our habits which was then considered to be bad now becomes to be good when we are grown ups. To be asked to swear, even otherwise, becomes too offensive. If a person is asked in spite of his declarations or solemn affirmation, to swear by God, he will say : “I am telling the truth. You must believe me as such. There is no need that I should swear by God.” I believe it is beneath one’s dignity to be asked to swear by God. I believe, at the same time, Sir, that is showing disrespect to God Himself that we should use His name for swearing purposes. Apart from that, I know it is doubting the individual’s integrity to ask him to swear by God.
